Do you remember when you were a child and had truly no comprehension of the intensity of the world?
I certainly hope that is true for you, because my heart breaks over children who grow up with the heavy burden of heartache that comes with understanding the realities of life too soon. I believe children should have a certain degree of innocence, and I’m thankful that I had that myself.
But the older I get, the more pressing everything feels.
My joys are so much more joyful, and my sorrows so much more sorrowful. Time feels more fleeting every single day. Life is more precious. Death is more real. And all the moments in between that moment of conception and the final breath feel incredibly weighty. Because you never know when that moment might be the last one.
I told a friend earlier this week that I felt like I had spiritual whiplash. It’s hard to be in this world. I have been a Christian nearly as long as I can remember and God had been so good to me to show me things little bits at a time over those years.
Things I needed to see.
Things I needed to learn.
Things I needed to change.
And so many things I wish I never needed to know.
This mystery – how Christians can be “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” – is a great one. It’s all wrapped up in the beauty of understanding that our God, Creator of heaven and earth and everything in it, holds every single piece of His creation in His hands. Nothing is outside of His control. Nothing slips through without His notice or permission.
Wonderful things happen in this short life! Birthday and wedding celebrations. Kindness seen across the globe. The natural beauty of this world. Financial blessings. Friendship. It’s all so good.
And so, we rejoice.